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Sagina subulata |
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| Common name |
Irish moss, pearlwort |
| Family |
caryophyllaceae |
| Life cycle |
perennial |
| Flowers |
white |
| Size |
1" |
| Light |
sun-part shade |
| Cultural notes |
ordinary garden soil |
From seed  |
germinate at room temperature, do not cover seed
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While it is not botanically a moss, this low-growing evergreen groundcover is soft and cushiony like its forest namesakes. The tiny white flowers are hard to notice without bending down. We have it in gaps in our flat-stone walkway, where they've been happily growing for years. They're not the perfect groundcover, since they allow weeds to grow up through them - but we peck 'm clean every once in a while. We've lost a few over the years - not sure if it's from drought, waterlogging, or old age. But luckily we still have a few good and healthy ones. I should really divide them and try to colonize a larger swath of our path with them.
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This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away... About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Sagina subulata
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| anthony giannini | Mar 14, 2006 | I have an area 20'x 300' that faces west that is covered with cut stone. I plan to remove the stone apply 4" of new top soil and seed with Irish Moss[sagina subulata]seed. Any sugestions? I am located in East Hampton NY>
I've no experience with using sagina as a mass planting. In between my stepping stones, I have a good bit of dieback of certain patches - which doesn't matter in the context of the pathway, but might not look so good when the plant is applied as a groundcover. Good luck! |
| kelly | Apr 12, 2006 | I have just bought some of these seeds from ebay......how did you start yours and how long for germination? I am in Oklahoma zone 7 I think.
As far as I recall, I germinated them at room temperature, without covering seeds. Germination probably within two weeks. Seedlings stay small in their first year. |
| horace | Jan 27, 2011 | does this plant withstand high temperatures?
I can only speak from personal experience; in Pennsylvania, where summer temperatures occasionally reach to around 100F, heat by itself does not kill these plants, but hot dry conditions or hot and all-day sun exposure seems to damage them. |
| Carol Poole | Jul 12, 2012 | Hello,
I am wanting to plant Sangia moss in between my flagstone pavers, but the patio won't be built until August. Will it be too late in the season to plant it or should I wait until next spring to plant it? I live in Minnesota, zone 4. Any feedback would be appreciated!
Early fall would probably be fine to plant sagina. You wouldn't want to do it in mid-summer even if your patio was already in place. |
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